BigAirBAG plumps up Blue Mountain Ski Area

Want to move and improve on your skiing and snowboarding acrobatics without risking a bad landing?

AL ZAGOFSKY

Want to move and improve on your skiing and snowboarding acrobatics without risking a bad landing?

If skiing or snowboarding down a hill, then catapulting off a ten-foot high kicker ramp for an amazing three seconds of airtime before a pillow-soft landing on a BigAirBAG sounds good to you, then you need to check out the newest addition to Blue Mountain Ski Area, Palmerton.

BigAirBAG is a fall-cushion used in the world of professional stunts. Placed behind a ski jump, the BigAirBAG offers a safe opportunity to practice all kinds of freestyle jumps.

The BigAirBAG is the biggest of its kind in the United States — 55 feet long by 35 feet wide and 12 feet high. The bag, made of plastic infused with Kevlar, is formed of two air pillow layers. The lower layer contains down to improve stability. The upper layer is filled with low-pressure air. Holes in the upper layer let air out, helping to absorb the fall. Blowers constantly replenish the air in the cushion. The top of the BigAirBAG is covered with a replaceable impact deck. Replacement is anticipated every two years.

Blue Mountain installed the BigAirBAG on Thursday, Jan. 7, and had a public opening on Saturday, Jan. 9.

"I did it, and it was awesome," said Heidi Lutz, marketing director at BlueMountain. "I skied straight, went off the jump and caught some air. I can't wait to do it again.

"It feels like landing on a giant pillow," she said. "It happened so quickly that I was not even scared. I landed on my back. Even with the skis on, it was not a problem. I got off with the biggest smile, and I didn't stop smiling for about 15 minutes."

Fred Trauerts, 25, a professional snowboarder with BigAirBAG sponsor Liquid Lightning, came off the bag after completing a Rodeo 7 — a back flip with a 720-degree rotation. It was his 40th jump since the bag opened a day earlier.

Asked about the experience of landing on the BigAirBAG, he said, "It feels like landing on a giant marshmallow."

Trauerts was especially happy about having the opportunity to check out the new bag. "I was in the hospital for three months," he explained. "I was never supposed to jump again." His hospitalization was for bone cancer.

"So getting back out is amazing. It is the most safe, fun thing to do on a snowboard," Trauerts said.

His advice to get the most out of jumping: "Try to keep up speed and try to think about not turning, and to commit. If you bail out or get scared, you are probably not going to do what you want to do. Try to hold your composure and just be confident about it.

"The last thing before hitting the air is to grab your board and remember what trick you are trying to do," he continued.

Trauerts observed that the speed coming off the 25-foot-high start hill and the 10-foot kicker hill is dependent on snow quality, temperature and how many people are using the ramp.

The BigAirBAG area normally has four staff members — two at the bottom of the hill and two at the top. To increase speed, staffers at the top of the hill were using ski poles to slingshot participants off the mountain. Ski poles are not permitted during jumps.

The BigAirBAG was developed in the Netherlands in 2004 by a team of snowboarders who were in need of a safer way to improve their acrobatic skills. The bag at Blue Mountain is only the second to be installed in the U.S. The other one is at Windham in New York.

Jim Daily, general manager at Blue Mountain, learned about the BigAirBAG in the spring of 2009. "We bounced around the idea and decided to buy it," Lutz said. The BigAirBAG cost $40,000.

During the snow season, Blue Mountain opens the BigAirBAG Wednesday to Sunday. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ($15 per pass), and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday ($25 per pass). Three jumps can be purchased for $10. A season pass costs $125. These fees are in addition to a lift ticket.

To qualify to use the BigAirBAG, Blue Mountain requires: experience snowboarding or skiing, experience jumping, proper equipment including a helmet, a signed release and a BigAirBAG pass. The attraction closes if winds exceed 30 mph.